1. United States
2. Wisc.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to oppose the proposed $6.2 billion merger between Nexstar Media Group and Tegna Inc. The U.S. Justice Department has already issued a second request for information about this merger, extending the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act waiting period by 30 days. According to securities filings, the companies anticipate completing the merger by the second half of 2026, which means there is still time for meaningful intervention. This merger would create an unprecedented concentration of television station ownership that threatens local news diversity and independent journalism in communities across the country. When media ownership consolidates into fewer hands, local perspectives disappear, investigative reporting diminishes, and communities lose the independent watchdog function that local television stations have historically provided. The dual review process by both the Department of Justice and the Federal Communications Commission exists precisely to evaluate mergers like this from multiple angles. While antitrust authorities examine competitive harm, the FCC's public interest standard considers broader impacts on communities, including localism, diversity of viewpoints, and access to information. This merger demands scrutiny under both frameworks. Nexstar already operates the largest television station group in the United States. Allowing it to absorb Tegna would further concentrate control over local broadcast news and information. In an era when local newspapers are disappearing and communities increasingly rely on television for local news, permitting this level of consolidation would be detrimental to the public interest. I urge you to publicly oppose this merger and to communicate your concerns to both the Department of Justice and the Federal Communications Commission during their respective review processes. Your voice as a legislator carries significant weight in these proceedings, and constituents need you to stand up for media diversity and local journalism.